Hi, I have a neutered male cat who is about 3 years old. I've noticed that he goes to the litter box about 1-2 times per day. Lately, I noticed that he will go to his litter box and sniff it (when it is clean) and walk away and not use it. Sometimes he walks in a little (only with his front paws) sniffs the air and walks away. When I see him use the box, either number 1 or number 2, he doesn't look like he is in pain or straining more than usual. I am wondering if his litter box behavior is a sign of a medical problem or if it has something to do with the box. Come to think of it, he does it whether it is clean or dirty, but I tend to clean his box once or twice a day, depending on how many times he goes.

Have you changed the brand of litter lately?

No, it is still the same brand of litter. I actually figured out what the issue was. We kept the litter box in the bathroom cabinet, along with other items and I realized that he must have gotten scared by something in the cabinet. I think something may have fell while he was using the litter box, so I took the litter box out of the cabinet and he is using it fine. Problem solved :) Thanks for the response.